Drawing Lines
by Shivera
Summary: Lost friends, new allies, mass sort of kidnapping, awful plans that work plus some that don't, and really inappropriate flirting. And Umbridge, we can't forget her. Previous warnings apply, plus angst, general feels and cross generational flirting with weird dynamics.
1. Chapter 1

Sum: Lost friends, new allies, mass kidnapping, awful pans and inappropriate flirting. And Umbridge, can't forget her. Previous warnings, plus angst, feels and cross generational flirting.

Chaos babe: some are already thinking about it.

Kouru-Kage: Not so much waiting

akitty: Not all of them, just yet.

Note: Rating may go up at some point. Not entirely sure yet

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><p><span>Summer Thoughts<span>

It was a lovely little town, blooming in the summers warmth, with a baffling number of bakeries and little café's as well as the normal collection of butchers, grocers, apothecaries and book shops that you found in any magic town. She couldn't pronounce the name properly but she was already planning future trips. And Mrs Krum had kindly extended an invitation to attend the winter solstice festival with the family. It was spectacular, by all accounts.

The moon looked different here.

"You are supposed to be up early tomorrow."

"We, Millicent, we. You are my chaperone after all, you go where I go."

"Anyanka will keep you out of trouble. I'm not getting up before dawn to climb a mountain."

"More of a large hill really."

Millicent made a low noise that clearly indicated how little he cared about this distinction.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't make my brain be quiet." Her thoughts ran in circles. "You kept the axe."

"It didn't stop being a good axe."

"Do you like Anyanka?"

"Yes."

It was very blunt, for a Slytherin. But she shouldn't think of it in those terms. Despite everything she did, in fact, know better.

"And Victor?"

"He respects you. He makes you smile. Marry him."

"It really isn't that simple."

"No, it never is." Millicent joined Susan at the railing, a hands width taller and far from done growing. "But respect is more important than love; it leaves room for reasonable compromise and common sense. My parents were in love, once. It didn't last."

"And do you respect Ron?"

"He has his moments." A sigh. "But there are reasons that we aren't formally courting and that is one of them."

She could have been a war goddess. Not one of those powder puff Mediterranean jobs that had clearly been thought up by men, but one of the old Celtic or Nordic ones. The ones with proper armour and realistic mussels and a small child in a sling next to the spare axe.

"Why did you come, Millie?"

"Your aunt couldn't and I needed to get away from my uncles before I killed them all and mounted their heads on spikes. This is better, all shall prosper." A wave of her hand. "Go to bed or regret it in, oh, about six hours."

Susan had the feeling that this unexpected friend of hers was either very simple or very complicated and that neither would prevent her from being terribly sensible and in this case, completely right. It was an annoying sort of trait.

Xxxxxxxx

"Oolong tea. No more coffee Amelia, it isn't good for you."

Amelia blinked a few times to find that she had emptied the cafeteria since she last surfaced and the shadows were leaning the other way.

Hannah carefully placed the tray in one of the few clear patches, gave the stacks of parchment a delicate frown and served tea. It smelt divine.

"Did Susan ask you to keep an eye on me?"

"All of us. It's Jackie's turn tomorrow, and then Tracy's. Have you considered getting a personal assistant?"

Amelia huffed derisively. She had, often and deeply enough to count as prayer. But it never worked. Good sectaries were gems, and anyone fortunate to secure one of the few knocking about the Ministry guarded them like a goblins hoard. The remainder were incompetent, lazy or gossiped flagrantly. Or informed directly which almost offended her less.

"Where would I find a decent one?" she sipped the tea and felt herself un-knot. Sweet Listening Gods but Hannah Abbott made a good cup of tea. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." A second cup was poured, and Hannah silently summoned a chair for herself. The Squad had been taking shameless advantage of the very good wards of Bones Hall, and how they blacked the Trace. The results silenced any worries Amelia might have had about the legality. "Mr Crouch retires soon doesn't he?"

"Already has, technically. His replacement starts next week."

"Percy all but ran the department for him last year, and he can make sense of the Ministries filling system." Hannah blushed faintly as Amelia stared blankly at her all-but niece. "It's just an idea, but he is very effective. And you won't have to worry about the aurors intimidating him into things; he grew up with Molly Weasley and the Twins. He'll just threaten them with cutlery.

"Really?"

"Mm. Harry got him a full set of re-enforced cutlery as a wedding gift, charmed to return to their kitchen if, er, misplaced. Percy was rather embarrassed, but Penelope and Oliver just laughed a lot."

"Hannah, if it would not be deeply wrong on several levels I would kiss you."

"I will politely thank you not to. You are good as family."

"I agree entirely. Do you think he would agree?"

"I think so, yes. Fudge knows he's one of us, which rather limits him in the Ministry, and they aren't planning on children just yet. Besides, he knows that Susan and I love you."

It she stopped to think about it the sheer loyalty implied by those last few words would scare her.

"It would be close to perfect. Everyone knows how good he is but most of the political ones won't dare try to pouch him for at least a year because of Fudge. But surely Crouch's replacement...?"

"Will be political, and chosen by the minister. Offer him an interview, hm? Now drink your tea. Supper is in an hour and we need to remind your stomach what it is supposed to be for."

From anyone else Amelia would have found that to be a judgemental sort of statement. But from Hannah it was full of gentle warmth and near maternal concern.

The girl was just too damn nice. It was really no wonder that she had to start fires to compensate.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Remus?"

"Hm?"

"Harry smells sad all the time."

The werewolf sighed softly, rolling closer to glory in Sirius's body pressed against his own once more.

"No, sometimes he smells angry instead." He didn't contest the snort, it was a fair response. "I thought we might show him the Animagus Reveal potion, it would make for a good distraction."

"He's more than strong enough for the shift. But, I never talked to my parents when I was unhappy. It worries me that he doesn't talk to us."

"I suspect that our godson does not, as a rule, tell anyone anything. And he is at that age, of course."

"We can't fix it if we don't know what the problem is."

"…Can we just work on killing Voldemort and let the teenage internal crisis work itself out? Please?"

"I don't think that counts as good parenting?"

"I don't think we count as parents Sirius."

A soft sigh.

"No, we don't. I'd like us to be parents though."

They had never spoken of it, not after Azkaban. Wanted, yes, but…

"Siri, you know I can't carry a child."

"Yeah. Turns out, I can." Sirius smiled crookedly at his consorts shocked expression. "Once the was is over, of course, and I'd have to be careful. Really, really careful. Basically muggle for the entire pregnancy but-"

Remus might have pounced on him, but Sirius was not complaining.

Xxxxxxxxx

After some discussion Tracy and Hermione had agreed to sit a mere three OWL's a year early. It left them in the odd position of being notably well educated but without the five OWL's that would have made them legal adults. But they felt it was safest for now. Fudge was less likely to hear about it this way.

Muggle Studies had been an obvious and easy pass. They followed it with charms and DADA as their research indicated that, between the tournament related research and Susan's Boat Camp of Violence they were working comfortable at sixth year level.

This did not stop them from panicking, just a little, as they waited for their results but nothing could.

"Miss Davis!"

She twitched, drew strength from Hermione's gentle squeeze of her hand and walked slowly to collect her results.

"Mia, open it for me, I can't."

"You are brilliant." Hermione leaned it, gifting her a soft, lingering kiss as Gryffindor courage rose in the face of another's fear. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, please. I can't look."

Hermione did it quickly, like ripping off a plaster.

"Two out standing's and an exceeds expectations in Muggle Studies." She frowned as her beloved whimpered. "Tracy, that's better than most who take them in fifth year get."

"Yes, but-" Tracy waved her hands inarticulately.

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione felt, just a little, that the desk wizard was sneering at her. She had felt that several times today, in fact. Something might have to be done.

"Here. You do mine."

"Two out standing's and an exceeds expectations in charms."

"Oh, I knew my summoning charm was sub-par!"

Hermione found herself in another kiss, longer and no less sweet. Eventually they parted for air.

"Tracy? Dearest?"

"I was afraid we wouldn't be equal anymore."

"I wouldn't love you less for being cleverer than me Tracy."

Tray blinked sharply. Hermione recalled her absently spoken words and turned beat red.

"I do actually mean that."

"Thank the Goddesses, I was afraid it was just me."

The desk wizard shortly came and pointedly asked them to leave. Apparently their display of affection was disruptive.

Xxxxxxx

Jackie was teaching Neville to weave a basket, mismatched eyes peacefully fixed on his steady hands and effortlessly holding the brunets full attention on their project.

Ron and Harry played chess on the terrace, the remains of afternoon tea lingering on the other table. Harry was losing comprehensively, which said a lot about where hi attention was.

He normally put up a much better fight than this.

"Check in three moves."

Harry stared blankly at the board for a moment, and tipped over his king with a sigh.

Ron hastily hid his frown.

"The Twins think that is hilarious." He nodded to the basket weavers. "But they never got past the prep lessons, so eh."

"They don't quite have the patience for it."

"True. Mum found their stash of order form. Not impressed. They're grounded till Dad and Ginny talk her round."

"Ginny?"

"Knock it off man, she's practically sane these days."

"As you say Ronald."

"Bite me. Hey, why aren't you doing your potions NEWT?" He'd heard about it from Hazel, who was more than slightly livid. "You're got it in the bag."

"Perhaps, but I can no longer begin my apprenticeship before leaving Hogwarts so there would be no point."

"Goddamn Voldemort. Couldn't he have waited just three years?"

"We would have left Hogwarts by then, and be free to hunt him down without needing parental permission. It wouldn't work."

"Mm, point. Percy would have a puppet Minister in place at the very least. Snake-shorts wouldn't get a look in."

Harry opened his mouth, closed it again and pulled a awesome face.

"Snake, shorts?"

Ron gave him a very wide, slightly lascivious and utterly insane grin.

"They're very flexible."

Harry was saved from having to respond to that by Neville letting go of a willow strip at precisely the wrong moment. The healer gratefully went to deal with the welt.

Augusta drifted onto the terrace, glanced over her grandson and one time ward. Looked at the chess board and check mated Ron with a single move.

"Yeah. He hadn't noticed that."

"I would rather like o know the cause of this, depression."

"No kidding." He smiled at her glare. "I would rather like to tell you, Lady Longbottom, but you're not my family."

She glared a little harder, and then surrendered.

"Dumbledore is no longer Chief of the Wizzengamott, and Minerva McGonagall is now Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"…He's still alive though."

"Where you expecting him to just keel over?"

Ron twirled the black king between his fingers.

"Well, I figured he'd have a bit of help on the way but…" He frowned, and began resetting the white pieces. "The King's an idea, either Harry of Dumbledore as the Queen, the Dogfathers are knights, Actual Moody…"

"Rook."

Yeah? Cool. So, the spy has to be a bishop, least he swaps with Remus but…" He frowned. "Who are his pawns? We don't need the expensive pieces, we have our own. He brings the cannon fodder or why bother?"

When he glanced up Augusta seemed very pale.

"Did I put my foot in my mouth?"

"And your finger on the point. He called them the Order of the Phoenix. Some even survived the war, whole."

Ron may or may not have whimpered a little at that. Not that he really knew what she meant but the tone just, hurt.

Xxxxxxxx

Arabella sat quiet in her parlour, gazing pensively out of the open window, absently playing with her sons think black curls as he rested his head in her lap.

"Why did you not say sooner?"

"You were happy with Remus and Sirius. I wanted you to be able to keep that." He stared vacantly at the pattern on her skirt. "I'm sorry, Mama. I can't recall you happier than you were with them."

"Ah was 'appy with dem. Dey are wonderful friends an' very dear to me." He voice made him curl up slightly. "But you are ma' son, de only child of ma blood. Ah will always choose you over all others. Ma children come first."

"I didn't want you to have to choose."

"An' Indigo wanted de same for you, but de decision was made before de choice existed. We did not speak false when we called dem family. Ah could no more pick dem over ma children den dey could pick me over Arry. Ah would not 'ave dem any other way." She waved a hand, pretending not to notice the light catch on her wedding ring, her first and the one she wore between conquests. How long had it been on her finger now? Over a year at least. "So et es. Tell your sista to come 'ome, hm? Ah miss ma babies. An' remind your brother to visit 'es old Ma-ji. 'As been to long, and et es past time ah meet 'is new kids."

"Yes mama. Love you."

"Dat es de entire point you silly boy."

Xxxxxxxxx

Narcisa studied the list of properties with a faint frown and an intense expression that her sisters would have known, and worried about.

The manor had not been built to house 20 children, or 18 if she excluded her eldest children and she half felt that she should. There were bedrooms enough, at present, but only because Thomas and Joseph could not be separated, Anita and Ziza demanded the same and Tobey didn't care where he slept as long as his little sister was nearby.

The little psychic looked so much better already.

Then there was the matter of their tutors to be considered. The fey had taken over their care and management with an easy serenity that Narcissa found a little disconcerting but they could not teach magic they had never cared to learn. Those who could must be housed, and, guarded.

One of the new tutors was a werewolf, allegiance secured with a large cage in the cellar and wolfbane. The second a muggleborn who had found the insular world of magical academia decidedly closed to him. Narcissa was inclined to trust both of them, one needed them to much to risk her place and the other would sell his soul for access to the Malfoy libraries.

The third was Isabella Rockwood. That was an uncomfortable sort of arrangement.

But enough, the manor was overfull and a secondary base must be located or created. Liz was clearly itching to locate more of her lost muggleborn kindred and they too must be housed. But where?

She could not use the Black properties without gaining Sirius's permission, which was no longer likely to be granted, and the Malfoys houses tended to be made along the same lines as the manor. Beautiful, elegant and slightly continental in style, and decidedly not made to hold to many for too long.

Splitting the children up would be difficult. The two groups were blending in a way that could only be counted a good thing and restoring the original lines would be impractical as well. Age would be the logical dividing factor, but would meet with strenuous resistance from the first group.

Indigo would want to keep Liz near, as much as was possible, and Mary had to stay close until she was more in control of her powers, which meant Toby was staying as well.

That left Leonard as the eldest, and she didn't want him leaving Liz's sphere of influence. The sixteen year old apperated though basic wards as though they were not there, like a house elf in that respect. Not quite so unstoppable, the manors centuries old, layered and re-enforced wards limited him, but he could still leave at any time though the entrance hall. Something about the floo connection no doubt, leaving him room to slip though the gap it required to function. But he respected Liz, or perhaps feared her, and did as she asked. And he would refrain from his mad cap popping in and out around her, least she acidify the air again and leave him with burns.

He had been warned, to be fair, and she hadn't hurt him too badly.

A cottage in Cornwall, no. Flat in Madrid, no. And nothing near a glacier regardless of its size. Why were there no castles or strongholds? The Malfoys had made their strength on conquest and carefully constructed marriage contracts. Surely one of them had kept the castle they bumped their spouse off for? But it seemed no, blast the families tendency towards magnificent gardens.

She turned the final page, half despairing.

Hm. Disused hospital, constructed by muggles, purchased and warded in the year 1904 on the orders of Lady Lucrezia Malfoy and her consort Ethelreid of the House of Wessex. Currently empty but maintained by a modest number of house elves.

Narcissa re-read the entry interestedly. She had never met Lucrezia, the older woman had, if she recalled correctly, passed away when Lucius was small. Something about stealing an island? But Abraxas had always sounded respectful when he mentioned his lady mother.

It couldn't hurt to look at it anyway.

Xxxxxxxx

"_Do you like her, Mama?"_

Anyanka glanced up to see her youngest son in the doorway. He stood straight these days, and it made him look even more like her father than he already had.

"_Don't stand in doorways Victor." _He smiled slightly at her words and obediently settled in the chair opposite her, half hunching for a moment before catching himself. _"I do like her, but I do not like her place in Britain's war." _

He frowned, and curled over slightly.

"_I will not ask her to abandon her friends or aunt."_

"_She would have no man who did. But she will be in danger, and you also if you follow her and I think you plan to." _

"_I do not intend to abandon her."_

"_I known, but would you be of any use to her? You are not a skilful duellist, could you protect yourself."_

"_I am not quite that bad Mama, and our knowledge of the darker magic's could be of use, in time."_

"_But not yet?"_

"_Nothing is happening yet."_

Anyanka sighed. Her stubborn son, he go that from both his parents.

"_Then you are decided, my victory? Then go with her now or do not go at all. Loves forged in wars rarely outlast them."_

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><p>Next time: Unexpected Guests<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Sum: Lost friends, new allies, mass kidnapping, awful pans and inappropriate flirting. And Umbridge, can't forget her. Previous warnings, plus angst, feels and cross generational flirting.

Guest: It's all the the last chapter of Changing Tides.

Umei no Mai: Enemies, friends, random bypassers...

What the hell have they done to the document up-loader?

* * *

><p><span>Unexpected Guests<span>

"Oh."

"You could at least pretend to be pleased, ma shou."

Jackie blinked a few times, tears not quite falling as he walked slowly to his mother.

"I didn't expect to see you again."

"Why in Hel's names not? You are my son are you not?"

"How could I be anything else?"

He kissed her knuckles, leaned into the palm that cupped his jaw and breathed in the smells of moss and wood smoke that always clung to her. When he opened his eyes she was watching him with melancholy, pensive eyes.

"You have grown again, and I only now know of it. You no longer visit me, my son?"

"Indigo sent me away." His voice didn't break, and he was a little proud of that.

"Away from him but not from me. Be assured, I asked. The wards are still open to you, and even then you did not write to me either."

"You cannot read, Mama."

The wild fey had no written language.

"So? There are others who can."

Yes, there were others, they wrote the plant records that Severus had wanted, they had learned with Miranda and him.

"I'm sorry, I forgot."

"No, you did not think." It was stern, but fair. He hadn't wanted to think. "You will write, and you will visit. So shall it be."

"As my lady mother commands." He gave her the small bow he had always offered. "I will be welcome?"

"You will be escorted though the manor, by me, but you were expected some time ago." She waved her hand towards a trunk in the corner as he made a quizzical noise. "Your things, your books and weapons. As you refuse to come and collect them I bring them to you."

"I don't understand."

"No-one in that house is so petty as to begrudge you your belongings."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I know. In time all questions shall be answered, or become irrelevant as all things must. Such is the weave. Are you content here?"

He hesitated. She would know if he lied. She always knew when anyone lied which bore some considering in relation to everything else that was going on.

"I am, working on it. The place is, perhaps, not important but I have my beloved's with me more often."

"Then you will be happy in time. I brought elderberry wine."

And Jackie had sorely missed it.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

A small cough.

Harry absently stepped to one side and murmured an apology. He did not, however, look up, he only had another ten minutes in Flourish and Blotts and he wanted to make sure.

"Mr Potter."

The voice was, familiar.

"Good morning, Mr Crouch. You know I rather thought you dead."

The man smirked in a manner utterly alien to his face.

"Ah. Young Mister Crouch. Are you following me?"

It was a rather disconcerting possibility, and surely Voldemort had better things at do at the moment.

"You just aren't that important yet Mr Potter. I need some books, have you seen anything on familial magic?"

"I wasn't looking I'm afraid, why?"

"Side effects, we thought it might have something to do with your blood."

"How interesting. Anything ghastly?"

"I am afraid not. Just a certain, leveling of temper."

"From what I have heard that is not a trait that runs in my family." A soft chime. "I believe that is your watch. And Mr Crouch is not prone to pocket flasks."

"Yes, that was such a useful habit. Good day, Mr Potter."

"Good day, Professor."

Barty smiled, tipped his father's hat and left.

Crouch Senior was, if Percy's information was correct, supposed to be clearing his desk today and his replacement was to take office tomorrow. But Percy had already moved into Amelia Bones's office and if the Ministry hadn't taken precautions against the use of polyjuice they deserved whatever mischief he might make.

Though if they were going to all the trouble of keeping Crouch Senior publicly alive and functional it seemed unlikely that Professor Crouch as going to do anything, dramatic.

A shame. And it was becoming increasingly clear that he was not going to find anything on magic suppressing wards in public circulation, which was really most inconvenient.

Back to the Black Library it was.

Xxxxxxx

It had to be the lowest security psyche ward ever, and that was sort of creepy. It wasn't the patients, they were about as dangerous as dormice, but someone should have been around to protect them from everyone else. Crazy had never had a monopoly on violence and she could have poisoned the entire ward by now. Hell, Mary could have poisoned the entire ward by now.

Liz out down the chart and decided that if she had to lose her marbles she should probably do it around muggles. Magicians seemed to have a very basic understanding of how the mind worked, or ceased to work. And that word sounded wrong so the gender neutral term was still out.

She scowled at her target. He continued to water his tiny roses, utterly oblivious.

Useless chart was useless, so she'd have to wing it.

Liz dropped into the chair, did the meditative breathing that helped for some reason and proceeded to take a good look at a strange mans brain chemistry.

Her concept of invasive behaviour had gotten a bit odd lately.

She returned to her own skin when Liale poked her.

Her tongue felt like paper, but her technically-not bodyguard handed her a bottle of water without a word.

"Magic people are stupid and crap and know nothing about the nervous system or brain chemistry as a thing."

There was a very long silence.

"Were you expecting me to argue the point?"

No, not really. The Wild fey were refreshingly honest about their ignorance, even if most of them weren't that interested about doing anything about it.

"I've been repairing synapses. How long?"

"Over an hour. No-one saw you."

"That is a sad, pathetic excuse for a mental health service. The NHS would spit on it. Coma victims would spit on it."

"…Dribble, maybe."

"Whatever."

"As you will. We are going home. You've gone grey around the edges."

Liz grumbled a bit, but gave up when Liale had to haul her out of the chair. It was delicate, fiddly work she'd been doing and it seemed to have done something awful to her blood sugar.

"We're coming back next week."

"If you must." Liale slung one of her floppy arms over her strong shoulders. "I'll bring food."

"There's a café on the top floor."

"We give thanks to thee, honoured Crone, for the wit to invent lifts and he wisdom to install them in hospitals."

Liz muttered the ritual response with more reverence than normal. She normally just went along with Liale' devotions, but someone deserved a thank you for lifts as a thing and the Aspect of wisdom, invention and mercy seemed as likely candidate as any.

Xxxxxxxxx

They were drinking tea, neither was particularly happy about this but they weren't going to say anything about that now. There were courtesies to be observed, tea had been made and they were going to drink it if it chocked them. Which it might.

Catherine glanced into her half drunk tea and wandered if she could get away with a comment about the weather. She had never out-stubborn-ed Myra before, it might be best to give up gracefully before the tannins made one of them gag.

A vampires senses had their downsides.

"When will you be coming home, my dear? I must plan around my, guests."

Had she just won? Odd.

"There is no need to trouble yourself mother. I intend to remain at Hogwarts for a few years yet."

Myra didn't twitch; she'd had over a thousand years to perfect her poker face after all. But Catherine had been studying it for centuries, and saw her surprise.

"Mother is not really the right term my sweet."

"Sire is for people with delusions of grandeur."

"Kings have a great many things to answer for and that is one of them. You enjoy teaching then?"

"It is strangely satisfying."

"It must be, to make up for so long on animal blood." Myra frowned as Catherine smiled. "Don't tell me the wizards were willing to donate for you; they are obsessed with our cursing the stuff. As though we would."

"As though we could." Always fun to poke at her pride. "The headmistress has acquired a supply of muggle blood for my use. I have not needed it."

"You have never been one to snack on children."

"I wouldn't call them children, as such, and it was their idea, not mine."

Myra leaned forwards, hooked now and no longer pretending otherwise.

"Who?"

"The Malfoy lord's idea, but mostly the young Potter lord and his, cohort?" Catherine frowned into space. "Probably cohort. Friends is to, casual, allies to formal, gang implies to much random violence and retinue doesn't indicate enough of the intentional sort. There must be a better term for it."

"Bloodriders, perhaps?"

"That sounds like something from a fantasy novel."

"It is a position of great loyalty and devotion gained though personal affection and the willingness to kill or be killed in each other's name."

"Ah. Well. Bloodriders it is then."

Xxxxxxxx

Lord Voldemort stepped though the floo into a cool, light parlour and waited carefully for a moment on the heath. Happily nothing happed and smiled slightly as he removed himself through the fireplace. Abraxas had worked him into the wards when he had the secondary floo point installed and Lucius would never have dared to change the access. He had been less certain of Indigo.

Though with Lucius dying so young it was possible his heir had never known about the permissions on the second point. Had Narcissa ever been told or, more to the point, found out?

The room was still elegant and impersonal. But perhaps more spare than had previously been the case. A result of two younger half siblings or something more interesting?

Small feet dashed past the slightly open door. A few moments later a pair of rather wild looking, leather clad greater elves slipped into the room, their bows drawn, and blinked at him interestedly.

Lord Voldemort frowned at them.

"Inform your lord of my arrival."

Their expressions didn't change.

"He is an intruder, right?"

"We aren't supposed to kill people who come though the floo though."

"The main floo. Not that floo."

"That one is for the Malfoy bloodline."

"That is not a Malfoy. They're much too vain to go snaky like that, and he's not blond."

"Distant cousin?"

He drew his wand, having had quite enough of that, and an arrow bounced off his hasty shield as the two elves dived for cover and his sleeve started to dissolve.

One of these things is not like the others.

"Good call Mary; you get a gold star for common sense."

Lord Voldemort jerked his arm back, the cloth seeming to crumble before it left the patch of air that, if you looked closely, bent the light strangely. The woman in the doorway smiled.

"Can I swap it for cookies?"

"You can swap it for any foodstuff you like, just don't make yourself ill or you'll have to work much harder to get another one."

"'kay Liz. Got it."

"Good girl, go eat cake." Liz smirked as the child dashed off again. "Just so you know, I can melt you brain."

"I can kill you with a few words." It was a reasonable point.

"Do you want me to shot him in the knee?"

"Not just yet, thanks Lariel. Indigo is out. You could leave a calling card perhaps?"

"Or you could tell me when your lord will be home."

The sleeve started dissolving again when she frowned, but stopped when he moved back a little. Whatever enchantment she controlled did not seem to move readily.

"Perhaps, but since you haven't even introduced yourself…"

"I am Lord Voldemort."

The floo blazed, and Indigo Malfoy stepped into the room as the woman's face became interestingly blank.

"That was a terrible waste of a basilisk Lord Voldemort."

His fingers twitched, and a bow creaked.

"I have a clear shot at his guts."

"The smell would never come out. Liz, stop baiting dark lords. Lord Voldemort do not threaten my ward, she can and will turn you into a strange smelling puddle. Take these to my mother, thank you Larkin."

One of the elves huffed, but rolled to his feet and obeyed.

"Should I go as well, my lord? Only I can get him in the throat from here and he has not stated his intent."

"A good argument but I am sure Liz will protect me, and someone is going to have to run off the kids who will no doubt find this ever so interesting."

The elf whimpered, and Indigo smirked in a way far more familiar than his previous mild façade.

"It's the vase isn't it?"

"No trick shots on the breakable heirlooms Catri."

"…yes Indigo."

"But if you hit some of those hideous busts in the main library…"

She squeaked happily, bowed and all but skipped away.

"Mika covered them in clown makeup." offered Liz mildly.

"Fuck that image and fuck you for putting it in my head."

Lord Voldemort took the opportunity to inspect the boy. He had changed in the two plus years since he had last seen him, but not dramatically. Taller, more self contained and, it seemed, with better taste in friends once removed from Potter's company. Perhaps his hair was a lighter blond or his eyes a truer purple but it could just as easily be the different light and the structure seemed unchanged.

Though rather less pleased to see him this time.

"Good day, Lord Voldemort, so good to see you in your own flesh at last. I presume that Grandfather wrote you into the wards?"

"Quite so Indigo, and didn't I tell you to call me Marvolo?"

"You did." Polite, society smile that didn't hide the fire in his eyes. "But you've been burning my bridges since then, so what is a boy to think? I worked hard on those allegiances and you gave them to Potter on a plate."

Liz rested her hand on his shoulder, and he visibly stilled.

"Did it work, with your OWL's and everything?"

"I am recognised Lord of House Malfoy and my vote is my own."

"Wizengamot pomp and nonsense?"

"I had to kneel to Fudge."

Oddly the word 'kneel' bore only vague distaste, and not a fraction of the murderous disgust that 'Fudge' carried.

"There will be a pain reliever and a bath once you're done. Misty?" A house elf cracked into being. "Tea for two in my lords' study, and a light lunch I think. You didn't eat, did you?"

He gave a tired nod and she sighed and left. Indigo silently led the way to a well appointed, if modestly sized study where a tea tray, a selection of dainty cakes and a tureen of what smelled like vegetable soup waited for them.

He found himself ladling out two portions while Indigo poured the tea and accepted, perhaps too late, that he really wasn't sure what he was doing.

"Do you take sugar? It is lapsang souchong."

"I do not. Thank you."

A delicate inclination of a blond head as a bowl was swapped for a cup. The tea was, of course excellent and the soup warming and full of herbs. They ate in silence.

"Be welcome in my house."

He had forgotten the formalities entirely.

"I am honoured by your hospitality." He found himself smiling slightly when the boy failed the hide his wry smile. "Well sort of. I did not ask Bellatrix to do as she did, but I will apologise for the trouble it caused you. I should killed him and been done with it."

"You mean it, I am indeed honoured. Let us say no more of it. We both know her madness, and I cannot fault you for wanting Potter on your side."

"He must have been a joy to work with, the business with the Prophet was quite delightful." A sip of tea, still hot as expected but not over steeped, which was a more interesting bit of magic. "You have found an, interesting replacement though."

"Do you mean Liz or the fey?"

"Perhaps both? I hazard that you are proving your theory on muggleborns, but however did you acquire greater elves."

"Oh, they wandered past years ago and we reached a mutual beneficial arrangement, and their Wild Fey, actually. Don't call them elves, the word has offended them ever since Tolkien got hold of it. More tea?"

He accepted another cup.

"Liz and the others are a new project, and not one I planned for. It seems not all magical children get the education they need, and the effects are interesting. I have accidentally acquired several of them now."

"How odd of you." That sentence required later consideration. "She does seem to have a talent for wandless magic."

"That's one way of putting it. She can't use a wand. Nor can any of the others over sixteen. The younger children are adapting well enough, though everyone over ten shows a tendency towards simple wandless spells. Phases of magical maturity, perhaps."

"It would explain a few things about the timing of magical education. Why start at eleven, after all, and why take your OWL's at around sixteen? Congratulations, by the way. Which subjects?"

"Runes, Arithmancy, Defence, Potions, Muggle Studies and Astronomy."

"And no doubt you performed magnificently." It was quite the list, even if it did include muggle studies. But Lord Voldemort had taken an OWL in that himself, the difference being that he had never studied for it.

"Well, I lost points when the boggart refused to attack." Indigo smirked when he stared. "Dumbledore decided to throw one at us in third year. The things are at a disadvantage against anyone who is really paying attention, all those plot holes. Apparently they gossip. He's been run out of Hogwarts now, and kicked of the Wizengamot. Isn't it lovely?"

"Utterly, though I would still like to kill him."

"Have fun."

Lord Voldemort raised an eyebrow, Indigo blinked innocently back.

"How is my aunt?"

"Well."

"And Professor Crouch?"

"Utterly sick of polyjuice potion. You are fond of him then?"

"I wouldn't go that far, but he is a good teacher." A dark expression flitted across his face. "They aren't easy to find."

"Surely you are sending your acquisitions to the other schools."

"Many are too old or too young, and none of them know enough about our ways to be turned lose. I will not have my wards wandering around ignorant of every other thing."

A house elf arrived to collect the remains of their lunch and replace the teapot. It looked rather cleaner and better fed than any had in Lucius's time.

"I may lend him to you."

"Ah?"

The boy was not foolish enough to ask without knowing the price, and asking him to swear allegiance would probably get him stabbed with a tea spoon.

"Do you know of any after affects, of re-absorbing a horcrux by this method?"

"I have not studied it enough to know for certain, but the cause of any, changes may be quite simple. Their creation splits the soul-"

"Yes, I know tha-"

He fell sharply silent as a butter knife was slung casually past his right ear.

"Don't interrupt people who are answering your questions. It splits the soul in half, making another splits the remainder in half. Of course you made more than one, and presuming you went with a stable magical number you were functioning with 1/8 of your soul. Now you have more than half."

The knife had lodged in a conveniently placed darts bored.

"I find myself confused, Lord Malfoy. You know a way to un-make a horcrux that is essentially un-heard of in Britain, if not Europe, but you claim not to have studied it in detail?"

"Grandmama is a very interesting woman, and I had found one at Grimmauld Place. I believe the locket to be, historically significant and I would prefer not to destroy it."

Regulus Black sprung to mind. He had liked that elf, hadn't he?

Indigo silently rose, fetched what looked like a puzzle box from his desk and nudged it towards him.

"I have too many children in the house to hold onto it, no matter how clever the protections. The box is warded, but it is not over complex."

He could feel his own soul though the spells in the wood.

"I'll ask Barty to draw up some lesson plans."

"Thank you, Marvolo."

He had been right, those years ago in the Chamber of Secrets. That mouth had indeed become sensual and the boy seemed to know it.

"You are quite welcome Indigo."

* * *

><p>Next time: Everything is Politics (We're doomed)<p> 


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